The present invention is directed to an inexpensive method for checking one's own thinking or the thinking of others for irrational or illogical beliefs known as fallacies. While computerized testing systems exist such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,518, no such computerized fallacy detection and diagnostic system is known in the art.
Current art requires those seeking relief from problems of anger, guilt, stress and interpersonal relationships to seek counseling in order to correct common thinking errors. Self-diagnosis is not usually feasible because of the extensive amount of information needed to accurately do so as well as the difficulty of maintaining an objective stance. In addition, while some self-help books discuss certain fallacies, it is still left to readers to properly and objectively apply these discussions to their own particular cases.
A counselor trained in the area of cognitive therapy may be able to work with the individual in an effort to correct faulty thinking. Counselors, however, may themselves lack the ability to detect common thinking errors due to lack of training or experience in this area. In these cases the individual is likely to receive inadequate treatment.
Owing to the high cost of counseling for the average consumer as well as the discouragement of unsuccessful treatment, a second consultation is not likely to be sought. In other cases people's problems may not appear to them to be serious enough to warrant the high cost of therapy so that these problems will go untreated.
Thus what is needed in the art is a tool which can operate as an inexpensive adjunct to available counseling options for said individual as well as professional uses; this tool having a form of artificial intelligence in order to detect and diagnose common fallacies that disrupt a person's thinking.